Mercer Co. bridge considered obsolete

WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. — A Mercer County bridge was among several steel deck truss bridges that state transportation officials included in a listing of safety ratings.

The 718-foot bridge that carries Pa. Route 318 over the Shenango River in West Middlesex is considered functionally obsolete by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Built in 1941, weight limits on the bridge restrict larger vehicles.

PennDOT’s condition rating of the bridge shows the deck is in satisfactory condition with structural elements showing minor deterioration. The superstructure, or the underlying part of the bridge, and the substructure that supports the superstructure, were both in fair condition with minor cracks and signs of deterioration.

The bridge’s sufficiency rating, something considered by the federal government, makes it eligible for costs to replace it. All bridges with a rating of 49 or less qualify for funding. This bridge has a rating of 48.

These ratings were released as a result of the recent collapse of a Mississippi River bridge that had the same design.